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Fetches complete details for a single earthquake event using its unique event identifier. This endpoint is ideal for retrieving full details about a specific event and deep-dive analysis.

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Endpoint

Method: GET
Path: /v1/earthquakes/eventId
Authentication: Not required

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Parameters

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eventId
integer
required
Unique earthquake event identifier.Validation:
  • Must be a valid integer
  • Must exist in the current year’s earthquake database
  • Returns 404 error if not found: “No event found with ID “

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Request Example

curl "https://api.terraquakeapi.com/v1/earthquakes/eventId?eventId=44278572"

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Response

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success
boolean
Indicates if the request was successful
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code
integer
HTTP status code (200 for success, 404 if not found)
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status
string
HTTP status message (“OK” for success, “Not Found” if event doesn’t exist)
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message
string
Human-readable message. Format: “Earthquakes event with id ”
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payload
array
Array containing a single GeoJSON Feature object with complete earthquake details:Properties:
  • eventId (integer) - Unique event identifier (matches query parameter)
  • originId (integer) - Origin identifier from INGV
  • time (string) - ISO 8601 timestamp of earthquake occurrence
  • author (string) - Reporting agency/organization
  • magType (string) - Magnitude type (ML, Mw, Mb, Ms)
  • mag (float) - Magnitude value
  • magAuthor (string) - Magnitude determination author
  • type (string) - Event type (“earthquake”)
  • place (string) - Human-readable location description
  • version (integer) - Event data version number
  • geojson_creationTime (string) - GeoJSON creation timestamp
Geometry:
  • type (string) - Always “Point”
  • coordinates (array) - [longitude, latitude, depth in km]
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meta
object
Request metadata containing method, path, and timestamp

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Response Example

{
  "success": true,
  "code": 200,
  "status": "OK",
  "message": "Earthquakes event with id 44278572",
  "payload": [
    {
      "type": "Feature",
      "properties": {
        "eventId": 44278572,
        "originId": 140102761,
        "time": "2025-09-26T19:33:46.440000",
        "author": "SURVEY-INGV",
        "magType": "ML",
        "mag": 1,
        "magAuthor": "--",
        "type": "earthquake",
        "place": "Costa Calabra sud-orientale (Reggio di Calabria)",
        "version": 100,
        "geojson_creationTime": "2025-11-06T00:52:30"
      },
      "geometry": {
        "type": "Point",
        "coordinates": [16.2387, 37.9982, 10.5]
      }
    }
  ],
  "meta": {
    "method": "GET",
    "path": "/v1/earthquakes/eventId?eventId=44278572",
    "timestamp": "2025-11-06T00:52:31.974Z"
  }
}

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Error Responses

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Event Not Found

{
  "success": false,
  "code": 404,
  "status": "Not Found",
  "message": "No event found with ID 44278572"
}

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Implementation Details

  • Search Scope: Searches events from start of current year to today
  • Filter Logic: feature.properties.eventId === parseInt(eventId)
  • Return Format: Single-item array in payload (maintains consistency with other endpoints)
  • Event ID Type: Converted to integer for comparison
  • Data Source: INGV API with format=geojson
  • Metrics: Increments event counter by 1 when found

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Use Cases

  • Retrieve complete details for a specific earthquake
  • Deep-dive analysis of individual seismic events
  • Event tracking and monitoring
  • Reference lookups from other systems
  • Event detail pages in applications
  • Historical event research

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How to Find Event IDs

Event IDs can be obtained from:
  1. Other API endpoints (all return eventId in response)
  2. INGV official reports and bulletins
  3. Seismic monitoring dashboards
  4. Previous API queries
// Step 1: Get specific event details
const eventResponse = await fetch(
  'https://api.terraquakeapi.com/v1/earthquakes/eventId?eventId=44278572'
);
const eventData = await eventResponse.json();

if (eventData.success) {
  const event = eventData.payload[0];
  const [lon, lat] = event.geometry.coordinates;
  
  // Step 2: Find nearby earthquakes using location endpoint
  const nearbyResponse = await fetch(
    `https://api.terraquakeapi.com/v1/earthquakes/location?` +
    `latitude=${lat}&longitude=${lon}&radius=50`
  );
  const nearbyData = await nearbyResponse.json();
  
  console.log(`Found ${nearbyData.totalEarthquakes} earthquakes within 50km`);
}

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Field Descriptions

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Event Properties

  • eventId: Unique identifier assigned by INGV
  • originId: Origin/source identifier for event determination
  • time: Exact timestamp when earthquake occurred (UTC)
  • author: Agency that determined event parameters (e.g., “SURVEY-INGV”)
  • magType: Type of magnitude scale used:
    • ML: Local Magnitude (Richter)
    • Mw: Moment Magnitude
    • Mb: Body Wave Magnitude
    • Ms: Surface Wave Magnitude
  • mag: Magnitude value on specified scale
  • magAuthor: Agency/system that calculated magnitude
  • type: Event classification (typically “earthquake”)
  • place: Human-readable location description
  • version: Data revision version number
  • geojson_creationTime: When GeoJSON was generated

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Geometry

  • coordinates[0]: Longitude (East-West position, -180 to 180)
  • coordinates[1]: Latitude (North-South position, -90 to 90)
  • coordinates[2]: Depth below surface in kilometers

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